The Thoughtful Leaders Blog
Posted by Robyn McLeod on May 5, 2011
Show me a happy employee and I’ll show you someone who is most likely using their existing talents and strengths in their work and also is probably developing additional skills and strengths in the process. Unfortunately, that is not the experience of many, many people working in organizations today. A few weeks ago I spoke to a room of HR professionals about what they are seeing in their workplaces. We talked about how the economic climate had created the need to cut back on benefits, eliminate training, and in some cases, layoff staff.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on April 22, 2011
This morning I enjoyed my first cup of coffee outdoors in many months. I’m so glad Spring has finally arrived. As I sat soaking up the sun and enjoying the quiet of the morning, a flock of geese flew overhead in V formation. Watching geese fly together is one of those moments of wonder and awe for me that connects me to the bigger world. Looking up at the geese, I remembered a video that was shown at a conference many years ago about the science and art of these flying formations – and what they can teach us about teamwork.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on April 4, 2011
“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” Anita Roddick
Often when working with middle managers we hear about how “wrong” the leaders of the organization are, or how mismanaged the organization is, or, simply, how many problems they face in their daily work life. There often seems to be a sense of, “I have huge issues that need fixing around me… and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on February 25, 2011
It’s that time of year again – the dreaded performance review! In many organizations, performance evaluation write-ups and discussions are in full swing right now – and anxiety levels can run high for managers preparing the reviews and employees waiting to receive their feedback. But it does not have to be that way. When we teach Effective Feedback in our leadership development programs we advise managers to make feedback an ongoing part of their regular interaction with staff members. That way, the annual review is merely a summary and culmination of the developmental discussions that have been taking place throughout the year. Stress goes way down!
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on February 7, 2011
“Change before you have to.” Jack Welch
It is easy to get stuck in a rut. We get comfortable with a certain way of thinking, being, doing, reacting – and we stay that way.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 17, 2011
“If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.” Mary Kay Ash
Recently a client was facing a challenge at work, a “growth opportunity” if you will, a chance to lead a team through an intense project – and she knew she couldn’t handle it.
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Posted by Cathy Alfandre on December 15, 2010
Have you seen the “Did You Know” videos on YouTube? If not, click here for version 3.0 – just under 5 minutes of eye-opening data and insight. Even if you have seen one or more of these (there are 4 versions so far), I recommend another look…
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on November 19, 2010
In any given week, I get plenty of emails about Time Management – seminars to attend, books to read, articles to click through to, and the hottest new productivity tools to buy. And when I find myself struggling to get through my to-do list or forgetting to do something, I feel guilty about my “poor time management.” No wonder everyone is focused on time management. Seems like there is always more to do, more information to process, more new technology to comprehend, more people to stay in touch with, and more places to be at the same time! Yet, we still have the same 24 hours in a day that we’ve always had. So, what do we do? Sleep less? Not I.
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Posted by Cathy Alfandre on November 17, 2010
One common thread across consistently successful leaders is their strategic perspective—not just about the business, but also about themselves and their own careers. In one sense, the strategic view means that they have a long-term picture of what they want to achieve. But just as importantly, it means they are repeatedly making a point to step back from day-to-day work and examine the value they are bringing to the organization right now.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on November 15, 2010
“Nothing is either good or bad. It’s thinking that makes it so.” Benjamin Franklin
Have you ever noticed how two people can experience the same thing, and view it completely differently? You may walk out of a meeting and turn to your colleague with frustration and share, “That was the biggest waste of time I’ve ever experienced.” Your colleague looks at you with surprise and says, “Really? I thought we really got somewhere today!”
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View Robyn McLeod's profile
Thank you Chatsworth Consulting for this timely Thoughtful Leaders Minute. For the last couple of days I’ve been allowing doubt to creep in and not turning to my faith and support to keep me focused and balanced. This in addition to a scripture I read this morning has reminded me of something I know, but I sometimes forget – I can do it! Keep’em coming….
Thank you for the comment, Tirza. Glad this post came at the right time for you. There’s no better affirmation than “I can do it!”
You might also enjoy this blog post on introspection and positive thinking: A Thoughtful Leadership tip from a monk on Wall Street